Apparatus for partially dehydrating and cleansing oily wood preservatives



July 1952 J. A. VAUGHAN ETAL APPARATUS FOR PARTIALLY DEHYDRATING AND CLEANSING 4 OILY woon PRESERVATIVES Filed Nov. 26, 1948 2 smE'rs-smm 1 IE; [:21 :L L5 22 2| 22 ,5} 5-. 5 2 5:

r if L n 20 la h 5 I0 '22 24 IS -n INVENTOR. Joseph A. Vqughcm Ariorngys July 5, 1952 J. A. VAUGHAN ET'AL 2,603,588

APPARATUS FOR PARTIALLY DEHYDRATING' AND CLEANSING 01w woon PRESERVATIVES Filed Nov. 26, 1948 2 SHEETS--SHEE'I 2 Attorneys ing and Cleansing Patented July 15, 1952 APPARATUS FOR PARTIALLY nEnYDRA'r ING AND CLEANSING OILY WOOD PBE- SERVATIVES Joseph A. Vaughan and Joseph C. VinSom-At-K lanta, Ga., assignors to serving Company, Atlanta,

of Georgia Southern Wood Pre- Ga., a corporation Application November 26, 1948, Serial No. 61,962

This invention relates to novel apparatus for and a method of removing insoluble and watersoluble matter from and simultaneously partially dehydrating oil wood preservatives, such as used creosote and the like, employed in the Wood preserving industry. One of the main objects is to providenovel means for increasing the efficiency of separating tanks heretofore employed for this purpose. Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of expediting the separation of water-soluble and insoluble impurities contained in used creosote and other oily wood preservatives having a specific gravity greater than 1.

Still another aim is to provide a novel type of settling tank or washer provided with'a continuous zig-zag trough through which a mixture or emulsion of water and the used oil preservative is caused to pass to a catch basin or sump, from which the cleansed and partially dehydrated preservative is withdrawn. The idea is to provide for relatively quiescentseparation and to prevent the rising water, containing the insolubles, from conflicting with the settling preservative in the tank, thereby increasing the rate of removal of the impurities and the contained water in the emulsion.

This application is 'a continuationin-part of our copending application Ser. No. '785,784,--filed November 13, 1947, now abandoned.

Further aims and advantages will appear in the specification when considered in connection with the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, showing a simplified form of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, of Fig. '1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view, broken line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, taken on of Fig. 4.

This invention provides important improvements in the apparatus and method disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,314,256, to Vaughan and. our Patent No. 2,314,257, both issued March 16, 1943, and our copending application Ser. No. 537,944, Patent No. 2,474,705,'filed May 29, 1944, entitled Method of and Apparatus for Partially Dehydrat- Oily Wood Preservatives.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to the illustrated apparatus, this invention taken on the taken on the line 3-3 taken on the the line 5-5 4 Claims. (01.196-) 1 In accordance withthe and partially dehydrated oily preservative.

provides'a settling tank or washer which takes advantage of a high ratio of surface area to volume, flow of preservative to be cleansed, in order to eliminate zones "n which an accumulation of suspended insoluble matter removed from thepreservative may interfere with subsequent separation and settling of the cleansed As hereinbefore stated, the idea is to increase the rate of separation and the efficiency of tank 'washerssuch as that shown in our aforesaid copending application, wherein an emulsion of the used preservative and water is introduced directly into a vertical tank which providesa'relatively small surface area in proportion to its volume.

present invention, a

mixture in the form of a temporary emulsion of used creosote and water, is slowly introduced into a long, inclinedtrough or channel of a horizontal washer tank 10 through a conduit. I I having a spray head l2 submerged in the liquid. In this instance, the washer or tank isshown as being rectangular and made of sheet metal. It has aseries of staggered, vertical baffles l3, l4 and I5 welded or otherwise secured to the end wallsof the washer and so arranged as to provide longitudinal alleys providing a long, zigzag trough or channel through which the mixture passes continuously to a sump or catch basin I6 formed integral with the washer atone end and extending downwardly below the level of the last longitudinal trough. Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the alleyways are shown as having progressively inclined bottom walls from the inlet end to permit the settled out, relatively heavy, oily preservative to flow by gravity toward the catch basin or sump. The depth of the liquid in the channel at the inlet end is preferably about three feet and, at the outlet end, about seven feet. Thus, theaverage depth is about five feet,

which permits optimum separation of the preservative. We have found that the surface area should benot less than approximately one square foot for five cubic feet of the mixture.

The mixture or emulsion is preferably introduced at about the optimum" separation temperature of F. to 200 R, which has been found to be suitablefor this purpose; It is also desirable to maintain the temperature of the emulsion in the entire tank substantially uniform throughout the height of the liquid to avoid convective circulation, which is detrimental to eificient separation. To this end, the entire-washer,

including the catch. basin, is shown as being enthe heat may be supplied in any well known man The washer and catch basin are shown] as being supported on suitable pedestals 2'0 restner.

ing on the bottom portions of the water jacket tank. To prevent heat frombeing dissipated through the top of the tankjthejackettank l1 is shown as having a removable insulated cover 2| provided with handles 22, so that it can be removed to permit inspection.

As disclosed in the aforesaid patents and -copending application, the separated wash water, containing the soluble and insoluble impurities which are removed from the cresote or. other oily preservative,.-is drained Irom the top portion of the sump as the mixture is pumped in. .In this instance, a valved drain conduit 231's shown as being connected to'theu pper portion of the catch .basin or at a point where theiseparation of the wash'water has been-completed It willbe under!- stood that the input-of the mixture may be controlled by automatic level-responsive means,

such as thatdisclosed inourcopending application. This, necessarily, will ta.ke;ir 1to accou'nt the rate of removal-of the cleansed and partially dehydratedoily preservative from "the bottom of the catch basin, odically. e I

It is also contemplated that the removal of the cleansed and partially dehydrated cresote which is pumped outper'i- .may be controlled :automaticallmin response to the level. of the :separated preservative in the catch basin,i;as. "described :in the aforesaid 1copending application. .However, and for the sake o f simplicity,theseparated preservative is shown as :beingzremoved through a valved-"drain .conduit 24,- and, .to enable theioperator to determine the level of the separated preservative .in :the catch basin, a pluralityiofipetcocksn25 :are shown as being connected by: conduits :26 to the catchbasin at :different levels. i- ..The :operator can open the pet cocks-and determine, ibyithe' nature-tof the discharged lliquidtherethrough, whether theseparated preservative-mas: reached .the upper level,

it being :much .darker .than.:th-eseparate '-'water. When the preservativerises Ito .the. upper level, the discharge valve vis vopeneduand the preservative is pumped-or drained outtinto a receiving,

Obviously; the preservative -may be removed continuously under :the control tank (not shown) of. an ordinary float waive not shown).

In accordance with this finvention iused :creosote or hydrocarbon wood preserving :oil :hav-

ing a specific gravity rangingbetween 1.02: and 1.08 is treated in the washer atla temperature of about '160*F.;:-although the temperature may be nearly 200 F.','if d esired.- The amount of water in the; mixture, the depth,"le'ngth, and-floor 2 areaof the channel, "and'the 'volume arrd-Tate of ilow of the oil-water. mixture'are all such 'as .to insure the separation of. approximately "one gallon of such used preservative per 'hour,. per

square foot of surface area, of the mixture in the channel. 5 A tank havingacapacitygfor cleaning-and separating about "600 .gallonsof the ;preserv;ative per hour is suitable for. ordinary purposes in-a plant where the used,."Icontani-i- 4 nated preservative has to be treated before it can be reused.

A tank for treating used preservative at the desired rate, as above set forth, has a floor area of about 16 feet by 40 feet, or 640 square feet. It is provided with at Eleast four channels or alleys, each of which is approximately four feet wide. The depth of the mixture in the channel at the inlet is maintained at not more than about three ifeet'while itsv depth at the outlet end adjacent to the sump is not more than about seven feet, so-thatthe :average depth always remains aboutfive-feet. Thus, the capacity of the channel isgapproximately 24,000 gallons. It is ini- '-tially filled with water heated to the optimum temperature, preferably about F. Then, a mixture of about equal quantities of pre-heated, used creosote and water is introduced through the'spray nozzle at the rate of approximately 1200 gallons per hour and wash water is per- .mittedto overflow from the top of the .sump at the same rate. The rate of flow of, the mixture inrthe trough is not, more than about eight feet perhour which We have found to be the maximum rate at which relatively quiescent separation of-the creosote will take place- 'Of course, the creosote immediately begins'to settle to the bottom .of .the trough and the -.deposited' film will flow along the inclined bottom at a faster rate than that of the mixture.- After a little-more than 600 gallons of settled creosote accumulates in the sump,. it is removedor pumped out. Then, only about 600 gallons of wash water will be displaced and removed from the top of the sump. Thereaftentheoperation is automatically stabilized, 1about'-600..gallons..o'f creosote and about 600 gallons of dirtyIwashwater being removed per hour; whi1eabou't'1200 gallons of used creosote and water are introduced.

The temperature .of the mixture ismaintained constant to avoid convective circulation and the rate of flow will be kept about constantto insure relativelynquiescent separation. After the automatic operation is' fullystabilized, the rate at which usedcreosote .is introduced with fresh, wash water is also maintained .the same as its rate of separation and removal. We haveffound that the quantity-of wash water should also be .maintainedat least .about equal to that of used creosote to insure optimum separation.

It has been found that a horizontal Washer of the type herein described has .a capacity of nearly 15,000 gallons .of. creosote .per day, which is adequate to satisfy the .requirements'ofan ordinary wood preservingplant treating poles and other timber products. Inaccordan'ce with this method, the contained impuritiesin used creosote have been reduced from. about 1%. to..lab.ou't-.4% by weight, and the cleansed product is satisfactory for all purposes.

Obviously, the invention is not restrictedto the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. 1

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for cleansing and partially 'dehydrating used,.oily .wcod preservative having a specific gravity greater-than T1,.comprisinga substantially rectangular settling tank o'f very large horizontal area compared with its capacity and V having vertioalpartitions providing a continuous, Zig-Zag channelsubstantially rectangular in cross section thereinadapted (to he. filled to a depth of an average of -about .-five feet, with -.a -.mixture of water and oily. preservative; a ..catch .basin communicating with the outlet end of the channel into which the separated wash water and settled out preservative are discharged; a spray head connected to the inlet end of the channel near its bottom and submerged in the mixture to deliver it in the form of spray into the channel; a drain conduit for the wash water connected to the catch basin at the upper level of the mixture; and a discharge conduit connected to the bottom portion of the catch basin through which the settled out oily preservative is removed.

2. Apparaus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tank is substantially rectangular and the continuous channel is formed by a series of vertical baffles arranged in staggered relation.

3. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the depth of the channel at the inlet end is about three feet and its depth at the outlet end is about seven feet to direct the flow of the settled out oily preservative to the sump;

4. Apparatus, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the Width of the channel is such that the surface area of the mixture therein is not less than approximately one square foot for every five cubic feet of the mixture.

JOSEPH A. VAUGHAN. JOSEPH C. VINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 499,583 Powers June 13, 1893 717,565 Von Gernet Jan. 6, 1903 719,319 Forbes et al. Jan. 2'7, 1903 1,102,553 Seubert n July 7, 191% 2,314,256 Vaughan Mar. 16, 1943 2,314,257 Vaughan et'al Mar. 16, 1943 

1. APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING AND PARTIALLY DEHYDRATING USED, OILY WOOD PRESERVATIVE HAVING A SPECIFIC GRAVITY GREATER THAN 1, COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULRA SETTLING TANK OF VERY LARGE HORIZONTAL AREA COMPARED WITH ITS CAPACITY AND HAVING VERTICAL PARTITIONS PROVIDING A CONTINUOUS, ZIG-ZAG CHANNEL SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE FILLED TO A DEPTH OF AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT FIVE FEET, WITH A MIXTURE OF WATER AND OILY PRESERVATIVE; A CATCH BASIN COMMUNICATING WITH THE OUTLET END OF THE CHANNEL INTO WHICH THE SEPARATED WASH WATER AND SETTLED OUT PRESERVATIVE ARE DISCHARGED; A SPRAY HEAD CONNECTED TO THE INLET END OF THE CHANNEL NEAR ITS BOTTOM AND SUBMERGED ON THE MIXTURE TO DELIVER IT IN THE FORM OF SPRAY INTO THE CHANNEL; A DRAIN CONDUIT FOR THE WASH WATER CONNECTED TO THE CATCH BASIN AT THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE MIXTURE; AND A DISCHARGE CONDUIT CONNECTED TO THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE CATCH BASIN THROUGH WHICH THE SETTLED OUT OILY PRESERVATIVE IS REMOVED. 